Time Is Ticking
by Superwhopotterlockian314159265
Summary: Slade is at Starling City and has made it clear to Oliver that he is there to fulfill his promise he made to him on the island five years ago. Oliver works with the others to figure out a way to protect those Oliver loves, including Felicity, whom Slade has targeted to get to Oliver. (Aftermath of The Promise episode in Season 2 aired on 3/5/14) Sorry I haven't updated in a while:(
1. Chapter 1

'Meet me at the club' Oliver texted Felicity, Diggle, Sara, and Roy. 'Urgent' he added.

It was the morning after Slade paid a visit to the Queen mansion,where Oliver was forced to provide a very tense house tour. Oliver put on his black helmet and swung his leg over his black motorcycle. He kicked into full drive and sped off. It took him ten minutes to get to his nightclub, and he saw that Thea was already there, probably working. He parked his bike in the back of the club and walked with haste to the side door. He saw Thea arguing with someone on the phone and slyly slipped past her. He took the stairs two at a time, and found that Diggle, Roy, Felicity, and Sara were already there and Sara was talking hastily to them all.

"Yes, Slade loved Shado, and Slade found out that Oliver had chosen me instead of Shado, and he-"

"He promised me 'You cannot die until you have suffered. The same way that I have suffered. Till you have known complete despair. And you will, I promise.'" Oliver interrupted and stopped in his tracks. Sara glanced down, obviously thinking about that fight on the freighter. "I'm glad you guys are here, but I only see three of you… Where's Felicity?"

"We don't know, she could be late," Dig said.

Oliver reached for his phone that was in his back pocket, and dialed Felicity's numbr. It only wrung once and he heard Felicity's voicemail "Hi you've reached Felicity Smoak, I um can't come to the phone right now, well obviously I can't since I didn't answer, sorry I'm mumbling. Anyway leave-"

"She's not answering her phone," Oliver muttered as he walked over to open his green wooden chest.

"Woah, what do you think you're going to do?," asked Sara, "You know what Slade is capable of and it's not like you know where he is."

"You're right, I don't but what do you think I'm going to do? Just sit here?"

"Of course not, Ollie. But we need to come up with a plan before we do anything we might regret."

"She's right Oliver," agreed Dig.

Oliver sighed, and put his bow back in the trunk and clasped the latch shut. "Last night, when Slade was driving away, I managed to get a license plate number." He walked over to the small desk where Felicity usually sat, and took a pen and a piece of paper and scribbled down a combo of letters and numbers. He handed the paper to Sara, and she frowned.

"6789KW?"

"Yes, and it's a black sports car."

Oliver had almost forgotten Roy was present, "That's it? A license plate?". When Oliver said nothing, Roy continued, "This is your lead." It wasn't a question, but an inference. Oliver nodded, "It was all I managed to get."

Although Sara was experienced in technology, she didn't quite know how to find the licensed car, and Oliver thought it would've been much better if Felicity were there. She could have it done in less than five minutes, whereas Sara was still reluctant to do anything. Sara was always cautious when it came to Slade. She was the one who suggested not telling him about Oliver's choice to sacrifice Shado for Sara. On the island, she tried to stay out of Slade's way that way she didn't get him worked up enough to make him want to hurt her.

Oliver had spent most of the day training in the basement of the club. He shot arrows, did a few rounds with Dig, and watched Roy slap the water in the bowl. Roy did that for about an hour until he finally smashed the bowl out of anger. "This doesn't help me at all!," Roy had said.

"Well it teaches you patience, and control, which by the way, has improved since last week. It's been an hour and two minutes. The first time you did this, you lasted ten minutes until you broke that bowl," smirked Oliver.

"This isn't a joke!"

Oliver's smile spread into a thin line, "You're right, it's not." Oliver got up and dragged the blue foam mats to a cleared area. "I think it's time I taught you how to fight."

"I know how to throw a punch."

"Oh, and I don't doubt it, but even with your uncontrollable strength there are still people out there who will and can hurt you."

Roy shrugged but walked over to where Oliver was standing on the mat. Oliver then taught him some other defensive moves on blocking, and it was good practice for Oliver since Roy was the closest to having a similar strength as Slade.

All day, Oliver still hadn't gotten a phone call, or text from Felicity about her whereabouts. He had missed Felicity today. He missed the way she always blabbered about unimportant things. Felicity was one of the few people who could make Oliver feel true happiness. All the other hugging, and laughing with Thea or Moira or anyone was fake, maybe except for Diggle. He had missed the way she sat at the computer, her almond-shaped blue eyes searched the screen intently, completely oblivious to what was going on around her. Sort of like Oliver was doing right now.

Now, Oliver was eating with Diggle at the Big Belly Burger joint, and Diggle was talking about a date he had had with Carly when Oliver heard his name.

Diggle waved his hand, "Oliver, are you even listening to me?"

"No. I'm sorry I was… thinking."

"Fantasizing, is more like it."

"What?"

Dig just smiled and shook his head.

At that Oliver's phone rang. He shrugged and grabbed his phone to look at the caller I.D. It said unknown. Without hesitancy, Oliver pressed 'answer', "Hello?"

"Ello' Oliver."

Panic spread across his face and he stood up and walked straight through the door with Dig at his heels. When Oliver spoke his voice was lower and gruff, "How'd you get this number?"

"Oh, Oliver, do you really doubt me? I've always kept tabs on you. In fact, it didn't take me long to figure out where your 'secret hideout' was."

Oliver was speechless.

He heard Slade scoff through the phone, "Don't worry Oliver, I'll do the talking. Have you wondered where young Ms. Smoak has been today?"

"What did you do to her? Where is she?!" Diggle looked at him with concerned panic.

"You know, I didn't quite appreciate you and your little friends ganging up on me last night. Imagine the surprise on my face when Mr. Diggle had a sniper pointed at my head!"

"Tell me where she is or so help me-"

"Don't worry Oliver!," Slade laughed, "You can still save her. That is if you are at the address I forwarded you, in thirty minutes. It would be a shame if someone were to snap 's slim neck." Oliver heard a familiar voice in the background of the call. "Ollie don't do it! Don't come!"

"Shut up!," Slade yelled and sighed, "you better hurry Oliver. Time is ticking."


	2. Chapter 2

Slade hung up the phone, and smirked. He reveled being in control of Oliver's life like this, and soon Oliver would understand what it was like to lose someone he loved. He texted the address of the abandoned warehouse in the Glades he had chosen to hold Felicity hostage to Oliver and slid his smart phone back into his back pocket.

This particular warehouse was a giant one roomed building with concrete floors that to Slade's surprise was stacked with empty, dusty wooden crates. On the outside, the building's sign had missing letters so it only stated "Jo_nson W_lli_ms Inc". The dirty white building was covered in graffiti from the gangbangers living nearby.

"He won't come. He's too smart to take the chance," Felicity spat.

Slade walked over to a wooden desk set aside of the open area and opened a drawer to pull out a gray roll of duct tape. Then he strolled over to the beautiful, blonde technician tied up in a metal chair, and slapped her across her face leaving a reddish-pink mark on her cheek. She whimpered from his abnormal strength and he tore off a strip of tape and placed it over her pink lips.

"If you can't learn to do as you're told, there will be consequences," he said, "Besides, you know what? I think you underestimate Oliver's feelings towards you."

She responded with a glare of disdain, though, he could see the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oliver may not know it, yet, but I know love when I see it."

Suddenly the metal door slammed open, and in walked Sebastian Blood carrying a skinny brunnette figure. "Mr. Wilson?," Sebastian said as he pounded down the stairs.

"Ah, I see you've got Ms. Lance," he replied, "Were there any problems?"

"No sir, it was easy to catch her walking to her car from CNRI."

"No one saw you?"

"Not that I saw sir, I was thorough, and she was the last one to leave the building," Sebastian stated as he set Laurel in the second metal chair beside Felicity. He took some thick rope laying on a crate to the side and tied Laurel's arms up behind the chair.

Laurel was unconscious, her head lolling to the side and there was a bloody gash on her temple. Slade walked over to Laurel and grazed his fingers gracefully on her wound.

"Ah, yes, I knocked her out with the butt of my gun, sir," Sebastian said wearily as he stood beside Laurel's chair.

"I trust you found it absolutely necessary?"

"Of course, sir."

Slade nodded and checked his Michael Kors stainless steel, gold toned watch. It was about half past eight, seventeen minutes since he had talked to Oliver. He shook his head, "Oliver's taking too long, and it's probably because he's planning an attack. It's best I call him to let him know about Ms. Lance's position." Sebastian smirked as Slade dialed Oliver's number once again.

"What?," Oliver said gruffly over the phone.

"Oliver! You're taking an awful long time and it is making me agitated."

"Yes, well excuse me for taking time to think about my options before I walk into a death trap."

"Oh but Oliver, you have only one option you see. It also might interest you to know that is also here in my possession, and if you don't come alone, I will know. In that case, I would be forced to kill both of your precious loved ones."

"Slade, whatever you're planning to do-"

"Oliver, all I want to do is have a nice friendly chat. Holding , and is more of a leverage than a threat," Slade said calmly.

Oliver's heavy breathing could be heard over the phone.

"Best hurry, Oliver. You have already lost twenty minutes."

Oliver ended the call and quickly walked over to his green chest, and unlatched it.

"Ollie, what's going on? What did Slade say?," Sara asked impatiently.

Diggle had had no time to ask Oliver what was going on, and who it was on the phone because Oliver was already rushing into his car. After Oliver quickly explained in the car, Dig texted Roy and Sara to meet them at the club. Luckily Oliver had not come across any cops as he sped through the city, passing red lights, so they made it to the club in five minutes. Now Dig and Roy were watching Oliver as keenly as Sara was.

Oliver took out his forest green gear and set it on the desk beside him, "He has Laurel."

"What?!," Sara exclaimed, "Well I am coming with you!"

"No you're not." He stuffed his things into a black duffle bag.

"Oliver you can't stop me, she's my sister."

"Slade is smart, and he will know if anyone else besides me is there."

Sara didn't respond so Dig spoke then, "Well someone has to go to back you up and

cover you Oliver, and if not Sara, then me."

Oliver turned to face Dig and Sara,"No, no one is coming with me. I have to do this alone.

If you, or anyone else goes, he will kill Felicity and Laurel."

Sara hesitated, then nodded, "Fine, but you better not let anything happen to Laurel."

Oliver walked up to her and hugged her tightly into his arms, "You know I won't let Slade hurt her… Or Felicity."

"I know," Sara glanced up at him. Oliver released Sara and took the stairs two at a time to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Oliver had barely any time left, so he took a quicker, but sketchier root to the abandoned warehouse. He leveled his bow on his gas tank and leaned his body in a way where it would stay put. His green hood and gear were in his motorcycle's saddlebags. It was a rainy night so when he raced through puddles, water splashed on him.

He made a left on King Street and pulled in to the lot besides the warehouse, he needed to make sure there was a quick escape route. He took out his gear, and bow and ran into a dark alley. When he was done scanning the area, he exchanged his blue tattered jeans, and black longsleeve shirt for his green hood and green leather suit. He secured his quiver on his back, and placed the Arrow mask onto his face. He was ready.

He took a quick peek at the time (five minutes to go), and then ran into a back entrance with a metal door which opened into a wide, open room with concrete floors. He made sure as he closed the door, that it made barely any sound. Surrounding the perimeter of the room were dusty wooden crates, covered in cobwebs. There were fluorescent lamps illuminating the room, and in the very middle of the room were Laurel and Felicity sitting two feet apart, in metal chairs. Laurel's hair was tangled, and her head lolled to the side, apparently unconscious. Laurel and Felicty's hands were tied behind the back of the of chair. He could faintly see tears on her cheek, and her makeup was smeared, but strangely enough, she hadn't notice Oliver's presence. He moved closer to the girls, and had almost reached them when the lights shut off. Immediately, Oliver nocked and drew his bow.

"Slade!" Oliver yelled, "Enough of these games! Tell me what you want!"

"You already know the answer to that Oliver."

Oliver glanced around with only his eyes because he could not comprehend where Slade's voice was coming from. Then he heard footsteps approach from behind, and he immediately spun around to find Slade facing him. Without a second's hesitation, Oliver released his arrow, but to no avail. Slade caught the arrow, inches away from his face and flung it at the floor, "Oh Oliver, I really did expect more of you." And a strong force knocked Oliver to the ground, and everything went black.


End file.
